Gov. David Ige left Tuesday on a nine-day trip to Asia.
In Seoul, the governor and his wife, Dawn Amano-Ige, will take part in informational briefings and events. The governor will promote Korea-Hawaii relationships, cooperation and economic development.
The Korean Ministry of Foreign Affairs is covering the $8,286 cost of the trip, according to a news release.
In Tokyo, the governor will attend the U.S.- Japan Council’s 2015 conference, which explores opportunities for growth and cooperation between the two nations.
NEIGHBOR ISLANDS
Rare birds taken to fenced colony on Kauai
Ten endangered Hawaiian petrels have been moved to a new colony protected by a predator-proof fence at Kilauea Point National Wildlife Refuge on Kauai.
Teams from the state Division of Forestry and Wildlife removed the petrel chicks from burrows in the Hono O Na Pali Natural Area Reserve within the Na Pali-Kona Forest Reserve early Monday.
The birds were placed into pet carriers, which a team transported to a summit area for pickup.
The Hawaiian petrel chicks were flown by helicopter to Princeville Airport, where another team took the seabirds to their new home within the predator-proof fence in the Nihoku area of the refuge, according to a joint news release from the Department of Land and Natural Resources, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, American Bird Conservancy and Pacific Rim Conservation.
The Hawaiian petrel or ‘ua‘u is one of two seabird species endemic to the Hawaiian Islands. Their population has plummeted due to threats by predators such as cats, rats and pigs. The birds have also been known to crash into structures during nocturnal flights, contributing to their decline.
The new colony in Kilauea spans 7.8 acres and is surrounded by a 6-1/2-foot high fine mesh, stainless steel fence to protect birds from predators. It will be the only fully protected colony of endangered seabirds in the Hawaiian Islands.
Andre Raine of the Kauai Endangered Seabird Recovery Project said plans are in the works to establish new colonies for Newell’s shearwater birds using predator-proof enclosures at Nihoku.
